Paclitaxel (trade name: Taxol) is a kind of anticancer agent that can be obtained from Taxus Brevifolia (yew tree), which is known to be effective particularly against breast cancer and lung cancer. However, the amount of paclitaxel that can be obtained from Taxus Brevifolia is very small, and there arises a problem in that the destruction of forests occurs, since the bark of trees is stripped to collect.
On the other hand, 10-deacetylbaccatin III that can be collected from leaves of yew trees are capable of being recollected, and are useful as a precursor for paclitaxel or its derivative, docetaxel (trade name: Taxotere), etc.
The synthetic method for the above substances are known as a semi-synthetic method, and there have been proposed (a) a method through .beta.-lactam (European Patent No. 0400971), (b) a method using an oxazoline compound (International Patent Kokai No. Hei 7-504444), (c) a method using thioester compound (International Patent Kokai No. Hei 10-505360), (d) a method using cinnamic acid (Tetrahedron, Vol. 42, p.4451 (1986)), etc.
However, the above methods thus far developed involve subjects such as reaction under the condition of extremely low temperatures, generation of diastereomers, use of asymmetry controlling agents, and reaction under strongly alkaline conditions, which cause problems upon the industrialization thereof.